Sunday, November 10, 2013

#133 Bill Castro, Brewers


 
 
Card Front: Ahh, the classic let's get a posed picture while you are playing the Yankees in New York. While you might think this is a inter league game, the Brewers were originally in the American League. After coming to Milwaukee in 1970 after leaving Seattle high and dry, they stayed in the AL. To me this is the classic look I remember of the Brewers with the yellow front of the caps, and the interlocked MB to look like a glove.
 
Card Back: I guess Topps felt we didn't need to see all the good things Bill did in the minors. While they were happy to write out the highlights we got no stats. If Bill pitched in the modern day he would be considered too small to be a pitcher at 5'11" and 170 lbs. The Brewers saw something to sign him at 17 and have him in the majors by 21 years old.
 
Six degrees or less to Seattle: Bill would still wear powder blue on the road in 1982, but we would do it as a Kansas City Royal. Another of those Royals in '82 was Willie Wilson. Willie would eventually find himself in the pinstripes of Cubbie blue in Wrigley Field in 1994 with Jose Hernandez. Fast forward to 2005, and there is Jose playing with the Cleveland Indians with a very young Franklin Gutierrez. Franklin only saw the plate twice and was in seven games that year, but after the 2008 season he would come to Seattle in a three team trade. After many injuries and lost time, Franklin was let go after the 2013 season and is currently looking for work.
 
Next Card: #134 Alan Bannister, White Sox

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

FWIW, until very recently, Bill Castro was the Orioles bullpen coach. They replaced him as a coach the other day, but hope to keep him in the organization.